Stories from a real life cowpuncher that will give you a smile and a glimpse of God.

Guest Post – Jake Hershey (A Real Cowboy Preacher)

by Kevin on November 2, 2011

Another great post from a true to life cowboy that has accepted the Lord’s call. Jake Hershey is very active with Save the Cowboy and we came up with the idea of this ministry in his living room at 2:00 a.m. one night.

I remember a lot of other things I used to do at 2:00 a.m. and none of it was figurin’ out how to spread the gospel to cowboys and cowgirls. But read below and you can see how God has gifted him.

Without further bull, here’s my friend…Jake Hershey.

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In between floating teeth and shoeing horses, I’ve been riding a colt at the house. Well, he’s not actually a colt…he was when I started him about four and a half years ago…now, he’s a huge gelding that still acts like a colt because I never took the time to finish him…but that’s a whole ‘nother story…..

The neat thing about most horses is this…they never forget what they’ve been taught. I probably haven’t been on this rascal 10 times this year…he’s just a project that I never got around to finishing…but I climbed up on him a couple of days ago, took hold of the right rein and…he flexed to it just like he’d been taught to. The left side was the same and so was breaking at the poll.

I thought to myself, “This sucker doesn’t know a whole lot, but the things that he has been taught, he never forgot.”

If only humans were the same way. I know I’ve been taught a lot of things in my life that when it came time to apply the knowledge, it apparently slipped my mind.

This seems to happen the most when it comes to truths I’ve been taught in God’s word. In Colossians, Paul tells us how to act as Christians…

Colossians 3:12-13….”Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I’ve been called a lot of things… but like a lot of cowboys, the words compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient are probably not what some folks think of when they hear my name….that’s not to say I don’t have those qualities…they just don’t get used as much as they should.

And then there’s the big one…forgiveness…..it’s so hard for me to forgive someone when I know I was right. But God’s word doesn’t say, “Unless you know for sure that you were right and they were wrong you need to forgive that person.” (I know I’ve checked more than once) God’s word says FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU.

We may not remember everything that we’ve been taught, the way a good horse does…but one thing we can all remember is that none of us deserve forgiveness for all the stupid things we’ve done or will do in the future or eternal life with Christ in heaven, but we got it.

And since He forgave us, we ought to forgive everyone else. It don’t matter who’s right or wrong…God’s keeping track of all that and we’ll all have to answer to Him for everything we’ve done, both good and bad.

Until that day, maybe we should all pray for the mind of a horse…to not forget what we’ve been taught. I hope you don’t forget this…hope I don’t either.

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Be sure and tell Jake thanks for fillin’ in. All of these guest posts have been fantastic.

If you’d like to read one of my favorites from Jake, check out Hammerheads.